Tag Archives: Gail Goodson

Gail Goodson was a society girl (a dentists’ daughter) who tried movies for fun and dropped her career not long after she got married. Heard that story a hundred times before, and just serves to prove that without real dedication and love for the art, it’s hard to keep your head above the water in Hollywood (and sometimes even that is harldy enough!). And now let’s see some more of Gail (sorry, I could only find two small photos of her 😦 ) …

EARLY LIFE

Gail Elizabeth Goodson was born on August 10, 1916, in Denver, Colorado, to Galen Roscoe Goodson and Ethel Ulmer, their only child. Her father was born in Hopkins, Missouri, and was a graduate of the University of Denver, working as a dentist. For the first ten years of Gail’s life they lived in Denver where she attended elementary school and was active in winter sports.

The family moved to Los Angeles in 1927, and Galen quickly found his niche in the local dentist trade – he became a favorite among movie people. Gail grew up in affluence in Beverly Hills (she was part of the Los Angeles genteel society and often attended soirees and tea parties), and attended Los Angeles High School.

So, how did Gail, who had no show biz aspirations, end up an actress? Well, her father was Eddie Cantor’s dentist and her smile won her the Eddie’s notice when he visited the office one time. He had seen her the year before, and she seemed just a little girl, wearing some of her dad’s teeth straightening gold bands. He then left Hollywood and some time, and when the comedian returned, he saw Gail on the day she graduated from high school in 1934, and was so Impressed by her radiance and grown up appearance that he got her a screen test with his producer, Sam Goldwyn. She passed with flying colors and became an instant Goldwyn girl!

CAREER

Gail made her movie debut in the legendary Kid Millions, where so many starlets acted as Goldwyn girls. The plot goes like this: Eddie plays a New York barge boy, who inherits an Egyptian treasure from his archaeologist father. Once in Egypt he is surrounded by a bevy of con artists both male and female, who try to get their hands on his money. And the story is perfect backdrop for Eddie’s unique brand of talent, and for some major musical stars to show off their prowess (watch out for Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern, Nicholas Brothers, Doris Davenport and so on). Pure enjoyment without much brain work, it’s a great Depression era musical.

Gail’s second movie was Folies Bergère de Paris, a delightful Maurice Chavalier comedy. It has an outstanding cast – Maurice, Merle Oberon, Ann Sothern, a funny and simple story (you heard it a hundred times before – An entertainer impersonates a look-alike banker, causing comic confusion for wife and girlfriend.), and good dancing and music. What more do you need? Next Gail appeared in an Our gang short, The Pinch Singer. It a minor and forgotten effort, more or less.

As she was Cantor’s progetee, she appeared in the last movie Eddie and Sam Goldwyn made together – Strike Me Pink. It’s an uneven effort, to say at least – much of the movie is ponderous and repetitive, and then the last 20 minutes turn into a top class farce, the best of what Cantor had to offer. The plot is pretty simple: meek Eddie Pink (played by Cantor of course) becomes manager of an amusement park beset by mobsters. Throw in some stalwart performers like and Ethel Merman as his leading lady, and you have a good cast if nothing else, and some great dance numbers with the Goldwyn girls (of which Gail was a member). And then Gail left the screen to marry.

Unlike many actresses that try to give up, Gail had her biggest claim to fame /(which isn’t saying much), in 1948, when she appeared in Joan of Arc – as Ingrid Berman’s armor double who did all the stunts! Incredible! I never tought that Gail had it in her to become a stuntman. Anyway, this is the movie people will remember from Gail’s filmography, and while it’s far from being the best movie made about Joan of Arc (you should watch the stunning silent movie, The Passion of Joan of Arc), it’s actually a solid historical epic. It was directed by Victor Fleming, who also helmed Gone with the wind, and of course it’s a lesser movie (but it’s not fair to compare any movie with GWTW), but Ingrid Bergman is simply outstanding and gives one of her best performances – and she had so many of them! Also the supporting cast is pretty impressive too (J. Carroll Naish, Ward Bond, Gene Lockhart…).

That was it from Gail!

PRIVATE LIFE

Gail gave a beauty hint to devoted readers in 1934:

Laughter is one of the brightest things in life. It may make wrinkles in time, bu they’re pleasant wrinkles and won’t detract from the charm of the wearer.

How true! Unknown to the papers, when she landed in Hollywood, Gail was already deeply involved with a man she would marry. Here is a short article about her upcoming nuptials in 1934, not long after she became a Goldwyn girl:

GLASSFORD SON WEDS ACTRESS: Gail Goodson, screen actress and daughter of Los Angeles dentist, taken as bride by Guy Glassford, son of Washington Police Chief who came to national attention in connection with bonus march. Gail Goodson becomes sis Bride at Agua Calienle. Gail Goodson, 18-year-old motion-picture actress, and Guy Glassford, 23, son of Brig.-Gen. Pelham D. Glassford, were married yesterday at the Hotel Agua Caliente, Baja California, according to advice received here last night. The couple flew to the Lower California resort early yesterday. The bride is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Galen R. Goodson, of 100 North Sycamore avenue, and was graduated last year from Los Angeles High School.

Guy Carleton Glassford was born on November 8, 1912, in New York City, to Pelham and Cora Glassford. As noted, his father was a police chief. They moved to Texas and then to Los Angeles. He worked as a credit manager for a living.

The Glassfords lived the high life in Beverly Hills, but the marriage did not work out and they divorced in about 1938. Glassford remarried to Utah native Marjorie Robinson, had a son, and died in February 1974 in Denver, Colorado.

Gail started to date her future second husband, Wilfred Donald Burgess, in late 1939. They were often seen in hip nightspots and he gifted her with a magnificent mink coat. They married on March 13, 1941, in Los Angeles. Here is a short description of the ceremony:

Mr and Mrs. Goodson announced the marriage of their daughter Gail to W. Donald Burgess last evening. Dean Ernest Holmes officiated in the presence of about 60 guests. The bride was gowned in ice blue meline with bouffant skirt and satin bodice. Her veil of royal purple meline was held in place by a headdress of fresh violas and violets. She carried a muff of violets and purple orchids. Mrs. J. Francis Gaas, as matron of honor, was in gray chiffon with a headdress of gray tulle with pink roses and delphinium. She carried a muff of the same flowers. Frederick Kessler served as best man.

Burgess was born in Canada in 1912 but moved to the US with his parents in 1922. He worked as a planter Tendant Supervisor. The marriage did not last long and they divorced in about 1945. Burgess became a naturalized citizen of the US in 1948 and died in March 26, 1978.

Gail’s career was long time over by then, and she slipped from view until 1947, when this announcement was seen in the papers:

Gail Goodson Will Be Bride of New Yorker Dr. and Mrs. Galen Roscoe Goodson of Beverly Hills announce the engagement of their daughter Gail to Alfred Hance Savage of New York, son of Mrs. Harlow Dow Savage of Scars-dale, N.Y., and the late Mr. Savage. The wedding Is planned for May at the Savage estate in Scarsdale. The newlyweds will make their home in New York but plan a honeymoon trip to Los Angeles. At that time Dr. and Mrs. Goodson will entertain at a reception in their new home, 1122 Calle Vista, Beverly Hills.

Alfred Savage was born in 1911 in Kentucky, to Harlow and Edna Savage. He graduated from Phillip Exeter Academy and moved to New York. He worked as a manager of personnel relations for The New York Daily News.

The couple lived in New York and had two daughters, Galen (born in 1949) and Clinton (born on December 15, 1950). Gail became a founder and first president of the Bronx­ville Committee of the National Mental Health Association, and was very active in the Youth Consultation Service and Reach‐to‐Recovery, an organization for women who have undergone breast surgery.

Gail Goodson Savage died from cancer on June 28, 1964 in New York City. Gail’s widower Alfred Savage died on January 19, 1982 in Florida.